NCDOT announces open routes to Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) - The N.C. Department of Transportation announced Saturday afternoon that it has identified three safe alternate routes the public may use to access Wilmington, which was flooded by Hurricane Florence.

Here are the recommended routes:

From the south, take U.S. 17

From the north, travel on I-40 east to NC 24 east (exit 373), then take US 17 south

From Fayetteville, take NC 87 to US 701 south to NC 211 east to US 74

Additionally, people may use I-40 to exit 373 and NC 24 to reach Jacksonville.

State officials still recommend people avoid any unnecessary travel in these counties where the risk of flooding remains: Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, Jones, Lenoir, Pender, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, and southeastern Wayne (south of US 70 Business and east of US 117).

Rivers are cresting through the weekend in southeastern North Carolina, where many roads remain impassable, including sections of I-40 closer to Wilmington.